Apartment Magic
by Pongo0614
Summary: Morgana knew that she shouldn't have but when her new job meant that she had to move, seeing him again felt good. The only problem was she still had the stupid crush on him and he had only got better with age. Oh and he had a girlfriend.
1. Moving In

_Hello guys._

 _I am back._ _Sorry for the delay, I had hoped to get more written than I actually did and then I just didn't feel like I was ready to come back. But at the moment, I feel like I need a distraction from work to actually get the work done. Believe me, when you are watching 50 odd videos for one subject, writing 100 words plus of a chapter really helps. Doesn't mean I do it quicker but it helps._

 _So I have written this one and therefore you will be seeing this story 3 times a week._

 _Please enjoy_

* * *

 **Moving In**

She knew that it would probably end in disaster. She knew that it was a bad idea. It was actually an awful idea. The worst ever.

But then again, Morgana couldn't wait to see him again.

She didn't know whether to thank Arthur or not, especially after telling him not to mention to Merlin that she was looking for a place to live in his area. But he had and she was glad for it.

She hadn't seen Merlin since she left home and when in university in Glasgow. They had all stayed closer to home for a variety of reasons. Both Gwen and Merlin, even with a student loan, just couldn't afford to move miles away from home. They just didn't think it was fair to put that financial strain on their parents.

Morgana had thought that Arthur would have tried to escape from Uther but maybe she always knew that he didn't have the backbone to stand up to him when it came to the question over university. She had been glad to hear that he dropped out of his business course in his first year to pursue his dream of becoming a sports coach. She knew that she would enjoy watching the kids play football from the sidelines, even if she didn't understand the fun in kicking the ball around a field.

Her plans started with getting as far away from her stepfather as she possible could without going aboard. Part of her had regretted that decision as she had liked the idea of travelling but she knew that she would always have to come home for a job.

Uther hadn't agreed with her choice of course either. He would moan every time she would give her answer of History whenever she was asked. He would always say that it was pointless to do a subject that there wouldn't be a defined job at the end of it. It was what she had set her heart on doing the moment she had started GCSE History and he wasn't going to stop her.

Anyway, there was a lot that could be done with a History degree. You were not just qualified to work in a museum as Uther would argue. She could have gone and been a journalist or an assistant to a politician if she wanted to. But she didn't and ended up becoming a teacher and after finding teenager hard to handle, she went back to university to get a PhD so that she could teach like minded people.

And so that was how she ended up taking a job as a History lecturer at Queen Mary and found herself needing a place to stay in London that was close to the university.

What better than an old friend that works there.

Morgana entered the block of flats and pressed the button for the lift. She was excited to see him. She had missed him. He had been someone that she knew that she could always talk to about anything. And it wasn't going to be awkward between them like just before they left for university because she had got over the crush she had on him.

She dragged her suitcase behind her as she walked up to his door and knocked on it.

Morgana had got over her crush on him. Yeah, he was good looking with the cute boyish looks he had. Yeah, he was there for her quite a few times. Yeah, he had covered for her when she went out for parties. But they were friends. Just friends. And the crush was ages ago.

"Morgana, it's good to see you again."

She hadn't even noticed that the door had opened as she looked up at him. All the thoughts she was having had stopped and she just couldn't help but stare. Merlin had got better with age. He had swapped his boyish looks for more mainly ones and she couldn't deny that he suited a beard.

"It's good to see you again too." She made herself say.

She would go back to her first thought. It was a bad idea. An awful idea. The worst ever. He had just reminded her why she had the insane crush on him before.

"I hope you found it alright. Did the instructions that I gave Arthur help at all." He said as he opened the door wider for her.

"Yeah, found it no problem." She said as she entered his flat.

"I'll show you to your room before I show you the rest of the flat. There isn't much to it but it is all off that way and it might be best for you to put your stuff in the room because even if it is a two bed flat, it isn't really big enough."

Morgana just nodded, not trusting her mouth. Her thoughts were just filled with swear words as she tried to think how the hell she was meant to live with him. Maybe she should have taken up Uther's offer of moving back in with him until she earnt enough to buy her own flat. She wouldn't have seen him as often as she would Merlin.

She was just so glad that he wasn't in the same department as him. He had always been into English. He always seemed to have his head into a book and would always have a recommendation for anyone if they said that they were looking for something to read. She had actually gone to the bookshop he used to work out for the pure reason that she loved the way that he talked about books.

"It is a little bare and bland but I am sure you can do something with it."

The room wasn't massive but Morgana knew it was big enough for her needs. It was mainly just for sleeping in. She would probably spend most of her time in the living room or in her lecture room at the university. The room had no need to be big. She was sure that she could fit all her clothes in the drawers and wardrobe that was there.

"It is absolutely fine. I doubt I will spend much time in here awake anyway."

"Or much time in here at all. Well around exam time. It does get pretty hectic and even being a lecturer, you still sleep as little as them around exam time because you are trying to sort out all their problems."

"Struggles of being a teacher."

"Definitely that." Merlin paused for a second. "Umm, let me show you the rest of the flat." He lead her out of her room. "There is a bathroom down there. Unfortunately there is only one and the lock isn't the best. I have been meaning to replace it before you arrive but I haven't had the chance. And I kept forgetting. Just … tell me or place something outside. I am sure we will work something out.

"You come from the hall into the kitchen and, yeah, its a bit basic. Hob, oven, fridge, freezer." He said as he tapped them. "I will place a piece of paper up on the fridge as a shopping list and just when one of us finds the time, just go out and do it and we will split the food bill. That's another thing. It is okay if we split the bills and rent down the middle. I will obviously pay for everything this month but from now on..."

"Yeah that is fine. That was kinda what I was expecting."

Merlin took a deep breath. "Yeah, of course. And then through to the living room. Sorry it's a bit of a mess. Been trying to sort out a few things before we start next week."

Morgana shook her head as she stepped into the room. He hadn't changed a bit, which she was glad of. Maybe she could have her chance with him this time around. She wasn't the popular girl any more. She didn't have to feel like she couldn't date him.

"Oh, yeah, this is Freya, my girlfriend. She will be around here quite a bit."

She turned to see a woman get up from off the sofa. Freya smiled up at her as she told her that she had heard a lot about Morgana. All Morgana could do was smile as sweetly as she attempted not to instantly hate the woman.


	2. The Girlfriend

_Thank you for the reviews_

 _Sear of Chaos: There will be more familiar faces turning up in the future._

 _Meri Ley: Of course I do ;)_

 _Please enjoy_

* * *

 **The Girlfriend**

There were two big problems. The first one was that Morgana hadn't got over Merlin and it was insanely more difficult now that he had a girlfriend as well, who was the second problem. Morgana really wanted to hate her for being with Merlin but she couldn't. Freya was just too sweet for anyone to dislike her.

There were other problems as well other than Merlin. There was the problem of her lack of life skills. She had been waited on hand and foot most of her life and had really depended on others doing things for her. Like cooking.

"How … I still can't believe that you burn a jacket potato. It is really not that hard." Merlin said.

"Is it not?" She asked.

"No it isn't."

"Well, you have had many years of practice. I haven't … never have really had the need to cook for myself."

"Even at university? You must have cooked at uni."

"I just brought microwave meals and things that you just shoved in the oven and forget about for about half an hour." She looked around the kitchen. "Actually that reminds me, why don't you have a microwave?"

"I never had a microwave. Everything that you can do in one, you could just as easily do on the hob or in the oven. Anyway this kitchen doesn't have much worktop space, it would just take up too much room."

"I am sure we could squeeze one in here somewhere."

"No I will just have to teach you how to cook." He said as he turned to look at her. "It really isn't that difficult."

"I am sure I just need a good teacher."

"I think you just need someone with a bit of patience."

"I am a quick learner."

Merlin smiled at her. "I hope so. I still can't believe that you burnt a jacket potato."

"Just rub it in. Why don't you just mention that it was raw inside as well?"

"Was it raw inside?" He shook his head before he turned his attention back to what he was cooking. "You burnt a jacket potato and it was still raw inside."

Morgana knew that he would tease her about it for a bit before letting it go. It was just the person he was. She supposed that it was from being teased all his life. His ears didn't help him. She couldn't help but feel like it was back to old times. He would act all shy before showing some confidence. He would still stubble over his words when trying to explain things to her. It all just reminded her why she had the crush on him and why she still had it.

"Hey, what you cooking? It smells great." Freya said as she entered the kitchen and kissed Merlin's cheek.

Morgana looked at the floor to giving them a bit of privacy. This reminded her of why she couldn't have a crush on him and why she should just get over it. He was Freya's as Freya was his. She had her chance years ago and she blew it.

"How was your day?"

"It was good. Did all about the Arthurian legend."

"Suppose you had to say that the reason you are so interested in them is because of your mum."

"I do think the name Merlin helps."

Freya started to laugh at him and Morgana wondered whether she should have just slipped out of the kitchen into the living room.

"Oh, sorry Morgana." Freya said as she noticed her, turning a little shy. "I didn't see you there. I forget that it isn't just Merlin here any more."

Morgana smiled as sweetly as she could at her. "Don't worry. It's fine."

The problem was it wasn't fine. It was as far from fine as possible. She had lived with someone at university that had a boyfriend, who practically lived with them by their third year. She didn't mind him though. He would clear up after himself and would offer to pay for takeaways when they ordered one in.

The difference was that she didn't have a massive crush on him.

* * *

" _How it is going?"_ Arthur asked her.

Morgana sighed as she changed her phone over to her other ear. "It is going great. I love the university and the students are definitely more switched on than some of my other students. Although there were a few that looked hungover. But it isn't like I haven't done that before."

" _I know I did. Christ there were some lectures that I went to that I am pretty sure I was still drunk."_ He chuckled. _"What was the sigh for?"_

"It's nothing. It has just been a bit full on. Just getting everything ready and making sure it is what the head of department wants and then actually teaching it. I love the subjects that I do talk about but talking for 2 hours about it is hard. It is even harder when no one speaks back to you."

" _Morgana you can tell me anything."_

At that moment, Morgana heard both Freya and Merlin laugh from his room. If she didn't already feel lonely because she had no one then she felt even more lonely in their presence.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I think it might have been better for me to take up Uther's offer rather than yours."

" _Wow. Morgana, did you just hear yourself?"_

"I know, I know." She sighed again.

" _Come on. A problem shared is a problem halved."_

"Not to you. You will share it with everyone."

" _I am not the same person I was at secondary."_

"I just … I need to find someone to get attached to."

" _I thought that you told Gwen that you were over Merlin."_

She sat up straight. "Gwen told you?!"

" _She mentioned it. You know how she gets. Once she starts rambling, anything can fall out of her mouth. Anyway, I think it is actually quite sweet. I mean it would be kinda weird, my sister and my best friend going out. Look at me and Gwen. I doubt anybody would have thought we would have got together."_

"Well, I doubt your sister and best friend will be going out. There is the small problem of Freya."

" _Don't try and plot her death."_ Arthur joked.

"I wouldn't be able to. She is just too sweet. A better match for Merlin than me. You must have some single friends."

He laughed down the phone. _"I will ask about."_

"Thank you. I better get to sleep. Got a 9 o'clock lecture and one of my students wants to see me before hand to talk about something."

" _This early in the term?"_

"I know. That's what I thought when I saw the email."

" _Then I will leave you to get your beauty sleep. Night."_

"Night Arthur." She said before she hung up.

She fell back into the pillows and sighed again. She would find someone else and then she would look back and laugh. Well, she hoped that she would be able to.


	3. Work Life

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _The story about Morgana not being able to cook a jacket potato actually happened to one of my friends. That's how I know that it is possible._

 _I hope you continue to enjoy._

* * *

 **Work Life**

There was one thing for sure in the couple of months that she had been in London and that was Morgana loved her job. She found it so nice just to talk with like minded people about the subjects that she was passionate about. She loved the seminars, where she got them all to say something and debate about historical events. Her favourite one had been when she asked them if they had the chance to go back in time, what was the one thing that they would try and change. They all debated about whether stopping the Great War or Hitler would be the best move. They all seemed shocked when she said that she wouldn't change a thing because where they were in the world was because of those events happening.

She also enjoyed that fact that she could talk to Merlin more openly, on his own. Nothing had changed between them. It was like the five years between leaving secondary and them meeting again never happened. She loved that he was still so easy to talk to. She enjoyed that he wasn't as awkward as he used to be.

Morgana had also noticed that Freya, near enough, came around everyday. She thought that it was something that she just did but there was even times where Merlin looked surprised to see her, telling her that he was planning a seminar so wouldn't be great company.

She didn't really see Freya's problem. She was the one with Merlin. It wasn't like Morgana would steal him off her. She would never do that.

The only thing she could think of was that Freya knew that Morgana had a crush on Merlin. She couldn't see how she could know though. She thought that she was hiding it as well as she did at secondary. Gwen had no clue when she told her just before they left for uni and Morgana regarded Gwen as the person who knew her best in the world. Freya had only known here for a couple of months and they hadn't really had a proper conversation.

Morgana shook her head as there was a knock on the door before a head popped round.

"Sorry, I hoped that I could catch you quickly." The man said.

Morgana smiled at Mordred before waving him over. "What can I do for you?"

She had come to like the younger man. He was doing a combined degree of English and History. Morgan found History hard enough without adding English as well, but Mordred always seemed to keep up and was always prepared for the seminars, when most of her other students weren't.

"The essay you set us? I have looked through the core text and it doesn't seem to give a lot of information about the topic. I was just wondering if you had any recommendations."

"Yeah sure." She said as she quickly scribbled down a few books. "Mordred, you do know that university isn't all about work and no play."

"I just … find it hard to connect with people." He said as he took the list off her. "I grew up being moved from foster home to foster home. I have never really had friends before because I would never stick around long enough."

"I can tell you now, the easiest way to make friends is to go out and buy a crate of beer or cider or whatever you drink and then ask people if they want one. I am sure you will find someone that you will eventually become friends with."

"Maybe I will try that. Thanks for this." Mordred said smiling at her.

"No problem." She said as she watched him leave.

She smiled widely as she remembered her first day at university. Uther had dropped her off, she had argued that she could have just got the train but he was adamant that he was going to take her. He did just drop her off and as soon as she got all her stuff in her room, she picked up a bottle of vodka and went to the other people in her hall to see if anyone had anything to go with it. It broke the ice well.

"You aren't overworking the boy are you?"

Morgana smiled at she looked up to see Merlin.

"Mordred? He overworks himself. No, I actually gave him advice to make friends."

"Did it involve alcohol?"

"Is that what uni is about? Seeing how you can work with the worst hangover in the world."

He laughed. "Didn't you learn that in secondary?"

"I perfected it through uni."

He just shook his head at her. "How you got a degree is beyond me?"

"I never did the exams drunk or hungover. I knew it all anyway. So where for lunch?" She said as she grabbed her jacket and walked over to him.

Merlin rolled his eyes at her. "Of course you knew it all."

"I did."

"You haven't changed a bit."

"Nor have you really."

They smiled up at each other for a while before Merlin turned to the door.

"Right so lunch?" He said.

"Come on Merlin, it is only me. There is no reason to be nervous." She said as she walked over to the door. "We can go wherever you want to go. You are the veggie here. I don't actually know how you do it. Meat is just so good. I mean you are missing out on bacon." She turned back to look at him.

"There is a new place just opened down the road. We could try that out."

"We better get going then. I have a lecture at 2."

* * *

If there was one thing that Merlin was counting on to happen when Arthur mentioned that Morgana needed a place to stay, it was that she would come back into his life like a whirlwind. If there was one thing that Merlin was not counting on, it was that, even with a girlfriend that he loved, old feelings that he had buried would come back to the surface.

They had always been friends. For a while, it was the only upside of being friends with Arthur. She would always listen to him as he would ramble on about the plot of the latest book he had finished. She would always smile at him when he was sure that she would never give him a second look.

He loved Freya but maybe he always knew that Freya would never be Morgana.


	4. Brotherly Love

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _Yes, I suppose Arthur have pushed them together, but lets what he thinks about it shall we._

* * *

 **Brotherly Love**

"Christ, you guys know how to have fun." Arthur said as he joined them in the living room.

Morgana turned to him. "Arthur, you are a life saver." She said as she saw the plastic bag he was carrying.

"Merlin did mention that you might need some encouragement when I text him but I didn't realise that you were both marking. Guys, it is a Saturday. I would have thought that you would both be out on the town."

"Don't worry. Morgana brought enough wine for us to have a wine cellar if we had a cellar." Merlin said as he replaced the empty bottle with a full on that was on the floor.

"I have had some very fussy people when it comes to wine."

"Is that appropriate?" Arthur asked.

Morgana snorted. "Most of the students probably would have written these essays with a hangover. Come on Arthur. Think about your student life."

"We have only recently opened up the wine while we were waiting for you." Merlin said as he went back to the one that he was marking. "Sometimes the essays can be as dry as the wine."

"Like you know if you have a good one because you are so captivated by it that you forget about the wine and then there are others were you finish your glass and your not even halfway through it." She added.

Arthur laughed as he placed the bag on the table, the smell of the food becoming stronger.

"Have you had many?"

"Morgana has had more than me. She made the error of setting something that she found dull for her first essay."

"And I have argued that now I have got it over and done with. See Merlin set an essay on his favourite subject and therefore he will not be able to set one on the Arthurian legend for a while."

Morgana smiled widely at Merlin before biting her lip and going back to her pile of essays. Arthur was right, she could definitely thinking of better ways to spend her Saturday night. There were certainly enough bars and pubs around where they lived that she wanted to try. She could remember when she thought marking was a chore. But it wasn't with Merlin.

They had easily been at it for about two hours now but the conversation hadn't dried up. She may have brought the wine but it was Merlin's idea to get it out when he came across a dry essay. She had only agreed that it seemed like a good idea. He was the one to go and get four bottles. She had joked with him that he was trying to get her drunk.

The thing was, even though they could have been doing better things, Morgana wouldn't have traded her night in for any other offer. She probably would have but she noted to herself that they should do it more often. She loved the fact that they could seemingly talk about nothing with each other.

"How are things then? How's Freya?" Arthur asked.

And there was the one name that could just ruin it all.

Morgana was glad that Freya hadn't turned up but was waiting for the moment she could come into the lounge and start being sickeningly sweet with Merlin. It was the big problem she was having. Merlin and Freya were extremely cute together and fitted each other well and Morgana didn't want to get in between that. But she wanted Merlin.

"Yeah everything's good." Merlin replied. "Freya is good as well. She is currently away on some animal rights convention thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she has told me that it won't be like chaining themselves to buildings. It more them rallying together and the marching through … Bristol, I think, with boards and signs. It is something she wanted to do. I wasn't going to stop her." Merlin nodded his head to Morgana. "She has had the meat talk."

"Oh, that talk."

Morgana dropped her pen down on the paper. "I do understand that sometimes the animals aren't looked after the way that they should be but I will still always eat meat. Once was fine and I amused her as she talked about it but it is like every single time she is around here when I am eating." She stood up. "Now I am going to get you a glass and some plates so that the food doesn't get too cold."

She walked into the kitchen and got out another wine glass before getting three plates. She turned around to see that Arthur had followed her.

"How is it going with you?" He asked in a slightly hushed tone.

"Good. Well, maybe not. I cannot lie and say that I don't cherish every moment that we have together without her." She replied in the same tone.

"Merlin is in love with Freya."

"Do you not think I know that."

"Just reminding you."

"And I am not the same person I was in secondary. Christ, in secondary I had a broad choice of men but I was too scared to ask out the one man that I wanted. I know that I have missed my chance Arthur. Everyday that I see him and Freya together reminds me of that. I won't come between them. He has always been my friend and that is all we are going to be."

"How many times have you had to tell yourself that?"

"Once a day, twice if I am lucky."

"Morgana … I have never known you like this over a guy."

"And I had never known you to be over a girl like you are Gwen." She smiled at him. "I just need to find someone else. I just need to fall in love with someone else."

"How is that going for you?"

"Arthur, everything will be fine. I am not going to split them up. Someone will come along and I will look back and laugh at how ridiculous this all has been."

"I just hope you're right."

"I thought you two were getting plates. It doesn't take you that long to get a couple of plates. Even if you have both been sheltered all your life." Merlin shouted.

Morgana looked up at Arthur before they both burst out laughing. "Come on, you can bring the plates as you are the strongest out of us two."


	5. The Incident

_Thank you for the reviews. I am glad that you are all enjoying this story._

 _I am glad that you liked Arthur. He will be popping up now and again._

 _Can we believe that we are already on the 5th chapter?_

 _Shall we get on to the story?_

* * *

 **The Incident**

It was going to be something nice. She felt like she owed him after everything he had done for her. It was just a friend paying back a friend.

Morgana felt proud of herself as she checked the pots on the hob. She had found a recipe online that she had tried a few times before she felt confident enough that it would be edible for Merlin to eat. After all the meals he had made her, it felt like it was the right thing to do to cook him one.

It was a day when she got home before him. He had a late lecture and would usually come in and drop down on the sofa before saying that they should get a takeaway because he didn't feel up to cooking. Today he would have a meal waiting for him.

She smiled to herself as she heard the door close before Merlin called out to her.

"Kitchen." She shouted to him.

"What you ..." He started as he entered. "Morgana, are you feeling okay?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Surprised?"

"Definitely."

"Don't worry. I don't think I will kill us. My first try may have done but I think I have it now."

"How many times have you tried it?"

"This may be the fifth time I have cooked it."

Merlin started to chuckle. "It is a really sweet gesture."

"It won't be long now." She said as the timer went off.

Morgana turned off the oven before grabbing the tea towel to get the dish out. She wrapped reached in and grabbed it before lifting it up, her hand hitting the wire rack above. She hissed out in pain, dropping the dish back to where it was. She pulled her hands back.

Merlin was by her side in an instant and pulled her over to the tap, taking her injured hand and placing it under the running water.

"Keep it there." He said.

She leant forward and placed her head on her arms.

"Trust you to burn yourself." She heard Merlin joke.

Morgana looked up at him after he had turned off the tap and brought her hand into his.

"I don't think it will be too bad but I think I will still wrap it." He said as he dabbed her hand dry with a towel before picking up a strip of cling film.

"When did you learn how to do this?"

"Gaius made me take a first aider course before I went to uni and then I had to redo it before I started at the university. Although it isn't too bad. It isn't a bad skill to have."

"Probably makes you more employable."

"Probably." He said smiling down at her.

Morgana looked up at him and realised how close they were. She noticed how warm his hand was compared to hers and how soft his skin was. She knew that if it was some movie, they would end up kissing and forgetting about dinner. But this wasn't a movie, it was real life. She pulled her hand out of his grip.

"Thank you. Dinner?" She said in some hope to reduce the awkwardness of the situation.

"As you have slaved away, it would be wrong to let it go to waste."

* * *

There was a number of unwritten rules between them. There were rules about who would load the dishwasher after dinner and who would take down the rubbish bags. There were rules about making sure that everything important was left in their own rooms and that no work could be left out.

The one big unwritten rule was that whenever one of them was having a shower, the other one would stay in the room that they were in until they heard the shower go off and heard two doors close. You could hear the shower from whatever room you were in. There were times where Morgana was sure she heard Merlin running down the hall, probably to make sure he didn't just happen to see her. In the couple of months she had been there, they hadn't had an incident.

She would admit that she had her music quite loud. She had it loud to try and block out any thought she was having about Merlin's warm, soft hands and the feeling of hers in them. She had heard the shower and just suspected that, after it being about five minutes, that it would be clear for her to go and get a drink from the kitchen.

Morgana pulled the headphones out of her ears and threw them down on the keyboard. She turned down the volume as she heard the words coming from them. She got up and made her way over to the door and opened it, leaving the comfort of her bedroom.

It was just out of the corner of her eye that she saw Merlin walking out of the bathroom, with nothing but a towel around his waist. She couldn't stop her eyes from flicking over to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was.

She would never have imagined Merlin to look as he did underneath the clothes he wore. Her head started to turn as she started to stare at him. She mentally screamed at herself to just turn and get her drink but for some reason, she felt frozen to the spot.

She could feel herself blushing and, to her dismay, he turned, catching her. He started to chuckle.

He looked down his own body. "See anything you like."

Morgana hated confident Merlin. It was his worst feature because it made him even more sexy, especially now when he was practically naked.

She found her form again and turned on her heel to go back to the original plan of getting herself a drink.

"You have a girlfriend." She threw over her shoulder.

* * *

Merlin smiled as he watched her go before going to his room. He flopped down on his bed, landing on his back.

Morgana was right. He had a girlfriend who was amazing and seemed to understand him better than anyone had done for ages. The last person that he thought understood him was Morgana.

He used to be the one to remind his friends that they were with someone whenever they went out would start mentioning about other women that they would probably have a chance with. Now he was the one conflicted by two women.

The thing was, he still saw himself way out of Morgana's league. She would never date someone like him. He was just a nice guy. Someone like Morgana was always after something other than a nice guy.

He had Freya anyway. He didn't need anyone else.


	6. What's up?

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _So both of them seem to be in a bit of a pickle. Shall we see how Morgana is going to try and solve it?_

* * *

 **What's up?**

"Okay, what's up? You really made me panic when you called me." Gwen said as she joined her at the table in the cafe.

The cafe wasn't far from the university and Morgana was just grateful that Gwen could come when she asked her to. She just needs to speak to someone about all the thoughts that were rushing around her mind.

"It isn't anything too bad."

"Morgana, we have different meanings of too bad."

"I have been living with Merlin for a little over three months now and we have quite a few unspoken rules. One of them was kinda broken last night."

Gwen blinked at her. "Okay."

Morgana groaned internally. She really didn't want to explain it. "I was listen to music to try and block out the thoughts of Merlin's hand because I accidentally burnt myself and he sorted it out. I may have had it a bit too loud and didn't realise that he was in the shower and he may have left the bathroom at the same time I left my bedroom."

"I thought that you said that you were over your crush on him."

"Gwen that is the worst part. I freeze and then he says 'see anything you like'. I have never felt so mortified by a sentence before."

Gwen giggled next to her.

"This isn't funny."

"Maybe Merlin is just comfortable with you around. I mean, you were close before we all went off to uni."

"And the crush on him may have come back."

Gwen bit her lip. "You said that it would never come back."

"Have you seen the man? I thought it was something that I would just grow out of. It would just become part of my teenage years. But he has changed his boyish good looks for more manly ones. I mean, there aren't many people that can rock a beard as well as he does."

"So if he was single, would you have already jumped in bed with him?"

"He isn't." Morgana said, with a tone of sadness in her voice.

"Let's speak hypothetically."

"Let's not. Gwen, I need you to set me up with someone. I asked Arthur but knowing him, he's probably forgotten. Anyone that you know. I just … I need to get my mind off Merlin. I am scared that I may … Merlin and Freya deserve to be together. I don't want to ruin what they have got."

"Don't worry I know just the guy." Gwen said, reassuring her friend.

* * *

Morgana sipped on her wine as she waited for the guy that Gwen was setting her up with. Merlin and Freya were having a night in so she was glad that she could escape the sickening cuteness that was their relationship without having to hide in her room. Freya even looked a little happy when she mentioned that she was heading off.

The date have given her a chance to do a bit of clothes shopping, quickly jumping on a tube after work to head to Stratford. She felt relieved to get back on the dating scene again. She had a relationship while she was at uni but it broken down when their lives were heading in different directions.

"Morgana?"

She looked up at the man that had just arrived at her table. Gwen had made a good choice. He was extremely handsome, looking very sharp in a suit. His hair was a little longer than she would usually go for but it looked good on him. The slight Irish twang in his voice made her want to melt slightly.

"Just the girl." She said flirtatiously.

"Gwaine." He said, introducing himself as he sat opposite her. "I am a mate of Arthur's. Well, drinking buddy."

"Arthur's stepsister."

"Oh, your the evil one he keeps talking about."

"Still going with that joke is he?"

"He did tell me to be careful. He said that you might have a few tricks up your sleeve."

"And keeping up with the witch joke as well." She laughed as Gwaine did. "He used to think that he was King Arthur when he was little and all his friends were his knights of the round table" She took a sip of her wine. "Enough about Arthur now. What do you do?"

"I'm a model."

Morgana looked impressed. "You do have the looks for it."

"You're too kind."

She found herself smiling a lot. The conversation moved from his job to hers, only stopping when they were interrupted by the waiter so that they could order their food.

"It must be annoying. Talking to a group of hungover or drunk people, knowing that they probably aren't taking anything in."

She shrugged. "It was what I used to do. As long as they start bucking up their ideas during reading week, they will probably do fine."

"That is probably with cramming sessions."

"Oh definitely."

They both smiled at each other and Morgana bit her lip. The waiter came back and picked their plates up before asking if they wanted the desert menu.

"I am fine." Morgana said when Gwaine looked over at her.

"Just the bill please mate." Gwaine said to the waiter.

"There is a cocktail bar down the road that I have passed so many times that I want to go to. Fancy going there?" She suggested.

"Cocktails sound fine to me."

When the bill came, Morgana argued that they were paying half each. Gwaine told her that he had it covered. She allowed him to pay for the whole bill in the end after she made him promise that she was going to buy the first round of cocktails.

They walked out of the restaurant. Morgana could feel his hand on the small of her back as he guided her out.

It was something that she realised that she had missed. She had missed adult male attention just on her. She had Arthur that she knew that she could talk to him about anything but the whole Merlin situation had just made her have slight tunnel vision. She wouldn't say that her crush had moved on to Gwaine but he was a guy that she could see herself dating.

She would see how the rest of the night when and where it would take them. Maybe Gwaine would be the guy to finally get her over Merlin.


	7. Double Date?

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _Now shall we see how far Morgana is from getting over Merlin?_

* * *

 **Double Date?**

Or maybe not.

Even though Gwaine was a great guy and extremely handsome, they had both come to the conclusion that nothing would happen between them. It was probably for the best anyway. He had become a great friend and even better drinking partner. He was always good as someone to help wash away the stresses of the day. She knew that she could always rely on him to make sure she had a good time.

It was a shame that they wouldn't be more. Gwaine was just the person that Morgana could see herself going out with. The nights would always head the direction that most people would want them to go but after a few awkward kisses, it just didn't feel right for both of them.

Morgana handed him a glass before opening up the wine and pouring it into the glass.

"So where is this room mate?" Gwaine asked when she sat down on the sofa next to him.

"Out more than likely. With his girlfriend, more than likely."

"Is someone jealous?" He teased.

"God no." She said a bit too quickly for her own liking. "I haven't really seen him today and he isn't one to text so I haven't spoken to him today. They are a cute couple. Sometimes too cute."

Gwaine laughed before laying his arm on the back of the sofa, just behind Morgana. "You don't need to explain."

"I have known him for so long. He is a great friend."

"I know. Arthur goes on about him all the time but we have never met him. Maybe I have met him, I was just too drunk to remember."

"That sounds like you."

They heard the door close and Merlin shouted out to Morgana.

"Lounge." She shouted back.

"I hope your are hungry. I would have called ahead but my phone ran out of charge. But, bearing in mind that you still have the same thing that you had a secondary, I thought I would be safe." Merlin stepped into the room. "Hello." He said when he saw them both on the sofa.

"Hi." Gwaine said. "So you are the infamous Merlin that I have heard so much about."

"Gwaine, finally a meeting that you will remember." Merlin paused and looked at the bag of food. "I didn't realise that there would be four of us."

"Don't worry, I will just eat what is left over. Anyway I am sure you could do something magical."

Morgana burst out laughing. "Oh my god, Arthur likes to keep a joke up doesn't he?"

"At least I am his trusted advisor." Merlin teased.

"Do you really think I want to be the evil, magical step-sister?"

"Yeah but it does suit your personality."

Morgana rolled her eyes at him. She turned to Gwaine and saw the smile that he was giving her.

"A great friend." Gwaine repeated from earlier.

"Shut up."

"Oh, hello." Freya said as she joined them.

The smile on her face confirmed an earlier suspicion that Morgana had. Freya knew that she had a crush on Merlin and now thought that her and Gwaine were going out, thus not putting her relationship at risk. Morgana knew that the questions would come and she didn't really know how to tackle them.

"Morgana, why don't you help me plate up?" Merlin said.

"Sure." She replied and put her wine down on the table before joining him in the kitchen.

Merlin got the plates out and the few moments of silence between them felt like a lifetime. She waited for the question or statement to come, thinking up ways that she could answer it.

"You never mentioned that you were seeing someone." He said with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"I didn't realise that I had to tell you."

"No, you didn't."

Morgana sighed. "I asked Gwen to set me up with a date and she chose Gwaine. I suppose we have gone on a few dates but it just hasn't really worked out. We have both decided that it would just be better off being friends and I mean, he isn't a bad friend to have."

"I would have thought he would have been your type."

"Looks and personality wise, yes. Just we didn't click. I want someone I click with."

If anything, Merlin looked a little embarrassed. She knew that both him and Freya had jumped to the same conclusion and she probably would too if she saw them as they were.

"Shall we eat?" Merlin eventually said.

"God yes. I am starving."

"Merlin, did you know he was a model?" Freya said when they rejoined them.

"He has the looks for it." Merlin commented.

"He certainly does." Morgana added.

Gwaine gave her a wink before take the plate being offered to him. Morgana smiled. Oh how she wished that something would could have worked out between them. It would have made things so much easier for all of them. She cursed herself for not being as attracted to him as she should be.

"So how long have you known each other for?" Freya asked.

"A few weeks now." Gwaine replied.

Morgana took a deep breath. She had explained to Merlin. Gwaine could explain to Freya.

"A few weeks? It took Merlin months to even have the courage to speak more than two words to me, let alone ask me on a date."

"Yeah, a few weeks. We were kinda set up together. A blind date."

"You knew more about me than I did of you. I don't think it was very blind." Morgana commented.

"I don't think Gwen did give me a very accurate description of you. She said that you were very pretty. I would say you were gorgeous."

Morgana wanted to wince at how couplely they sounded. She could only see Freya's smile get bigger.

"You know what we should do?" Freya said after a while.

 _Not double date. Not double date._ Morgana thought.

"We should double date."

Morgana turned straight to Gwaine.

"Double date? We couldn't do that." Gwaine said.

"Why not?"

"Because it would help if we were dating in the first place. We are just friends. It didn't work out."

"Oh sorry, just I presumed by the way that you were."

"No." Gwaine said before taking a mouthful of food.

Freya's smile dropped the moment Gwaine said that they were just friends and if Morgana thought that Freya knew that she had a crush on Merlin before, she knew it now.


	8. The Nightmare

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _To be honest, I slightly forgot about this chapter. I hope you like it._

* * *

 **The Nightmare**

It was very rare for Morgana to think that she had a good day. There was always something that she thought she could have done differently, mainly the way that she taught. History was full of facts but it was also it was to do about opinion as well. She hated the times when she was lecturing.

However on this particular day, she had managed to make her lectures more in to seminars and everyone seemed to join in at some point, even one of the students, who hadn't said a word for the whole semester, argued a point so well that Morgana took notes on what they had said to use in future. The essays that she had set, had all been handed in, with a few students saying that they will email them to her, to which they had.

Another good thing was that Merlin was rather free, with only one lecture in the morning, so any free time she had, Morgana used it to distract him from the marking and plans that he was trying to do. Though she didn't think that he minded it.

"How about I make dinner?" She said as they walked back.

"Really? After last time."

Morgana screwed up her face. "Maybe not then. But you are cooking something. We are not ordering a takeaway."

"Yeah, Freya keeps mentioning that she thinks I am putting on weight. I wouldn't say that she was the best influence in the world." Merlin turned to her. "I am glad that you moved in with me. I've missed you."

"I missed you too. Arthur kept me updated with what was happening but it wasn't the same. We were all so close."

"If it is any consolation, it wasn't the same just being Gwen, Arthur and myself. I tell you when I needed you most. It was when Arthur and Gwen started going out. I mean I was happy for them and nothing really changed but everything we did, I felt like I was the third wheel."

She started to laugh.

"I am serious. We went out one night and I went off to get another drink, I returned to our table to find them gone. After 5 phone calls, I managed to get hold of Gwen. They had forgotten that I had come out with them and were in the club."

Morgana just laughed harder. "Oh yeah, you needed me."

"Luckily not too long after that incident, I had plucked up the courage to speak to Freya and even ask her out. Then we double dated. I think that was worse."

"I never asked. How long have you been together? It seems like you have been together for a while."

"Nearly 2 years. As she explained, I hardly had the courage to talk to her and then Arthur and Gwen started to go out and I realised that I wanted what they had. We worked at the same coffee shop during university and I was still working there while I did my masters and then my Phd. But Freya had got a job elsewhere. She came in one day and instead of talking to her, I put messages on her cup. So she was the one to talk to me and we spoke as I made her hot chocolate, and that time I put my number on her cup with call me. She called and we clicked and the rest, they say, is history."

"You have definitely read too many books. That sounds like it could have come out of a book."

Merlin turned to her. "What is wrong with it sounding like it came out of a book?"

 _Because maybe our relationship could be like a story out of a book._ She thought. "Nothing. Maybe it is just you down to a t. I mean, you have always loved a good book."

"That I have."

Morgana just allowed him to talk for the rest of their journey. She couldn't help but feel jealous of what he had just said.

* * *

Morgana bolted up, out of the nightmare she was having. Her breaths were short and fast before she swallowed, trying to get control over it. She hadn't had a nightmare for years. It was something she was determined to overcome before she went to uni and had managed to do it, until tonight.

She hoped that it was just one. One just because she felt stressed and had quite a few things on her mind. It was only one in the last 9 years. It didn't mean that they were coming back. She couldn't even remember what it was about. She took it as a good sign.

She threw back the covers and got out of bed to get herself a drink of water. She would just get her thoughts under control and knew that Merlin had left a few of his books in the lounge. She might pick one up and start to read it.

Morgana opened the door to see Merlin with his hand raised to knock.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he let his hand drop.

"Yeah, umm, nightmare."

"I thought you had got over them."

"It's only one. Did I wake you?"

"No, I was still doing some work and I heard you scream. I thought I would just check that you were okay."

"I'll be fine."

"Right, good."

They stood there for a few moments and Morgana wondered what he was thinking.

"Are you sure you are okay? I mean, Arthur used to say that you used to sleep with him when the nightmares were bad." He paused as what he said caught up with him. "Not obviously sleep with him in that context but ..."

Morgana smiled at how cute he was as he was getting more flustered. "Merlin I understand what you mean."

"Oh, good."

She knew that she probably should turn it down his offer. She knew that he just wanted to be a good friend. It was probably the only reason he was offering. It was only one. She was fine. It would just confuse things between them.

"Yes." She said before she could really think over what she just said. "Just it is the first one I have had in a while."

"Okay."

Morgana stepped to one side, letting him in. Merlin walked in and sat down on the bed. She followed him and lied down. She thought about ways not to make it as awkward as it was at the moment. He lied down next to her.

"I like what you have done with the room. It is very you."

"Thanks."

She turned to look at him and he opened his arms up to her. She moved into them and placed her head on his chest. Earlier she thought that sleep wouldn't come to her for a couple of hours, but just with Merlin being there, she almost instantly fell back asleep, ignoring the fact that she felt so right being in his arms.


	9. Breaking Up

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _So Morgana has feeling for Merlin. Merlin has feelings for Morgana. And Freya is in the middle of all of this._

 _What could possibly go wrong?_

* * *

 **Breaking Up**

She didn't mind that there were times that she didn't see Merlin. He was out with Freya or she was out with Gwaine or Arthur or Gwen. It happened. Just because they worked in the same university didn't mean that they would see each other. They worked in different departments and there was no telling what work they needed to do. Morgana preferred to do as much work as she could while she was there as so not to take any work home.

The problem was, at the moment, she hadn't seen Merlin since the nightmare, a few weeks ago.

She had really thought anything of it until she go in that night to find the flat empty for the forth time that week. Was he avoiding her?

Morgana blamed herself for it. She should have said no. She knew that she would have got to sleep on her own after a few hours and she would have dealt with the lack of sleep with an unhealthy amount of coffee.

She had managed to find some rubbish to watch on the telly when he came in.

"Do you want to go out?" He said, slightly out of breath.

Morgana blinked at him.

"I really need a drink."

"I thought that you were out with Freya."

Merlin sighed. "That is the reason I need a drink. Come on, you have been talking about this bar that you want to go to since you got here." He said as he turned on his heel and headed for the door.

"Wait up." She shouted after him. "Just let me grab my coat."

She ran to her room and grabbed the leather jacket out of her wardrobe before running back to him. She slipped on some shoes before grabbing her keys and shutting the door behind her.

Merlin didn't say a word as they walked to the bar and she didn't really know what question to ask to get him to open up. If anything, his behaviour was freaking her out slightly. He had never been a big drinker and only drinking when they were drinking. It lead to him being a light weight but it was always fun watching Arthur attempt to help his friend home safely.

He held the door open as they reached the bar and Morgana orders two drinks when Merlin tells her that he doesn't mind what he has. They managed to find a table to sit down.

Merlin took a sip of his drink before he spoke. "Freya thinks that it would be best if we broke up."

Morgana nearly choked on her drink. "Really? Why? Please say she gave you a reason why."

"She said that she didn't believe that I wanted the same things as her. I mean, _she_ was the one to turn down my offer of moving in with me. Then she had the audacity to say that I didn't want her at all. I really don't know where she came to that conclusion from."

Morgana bit her lip. It had to do with her.

"She even brought you into it. Apparently, I shouldn't have allowed you to move in. Although as I have said, she turned down my offer of living with me."

Yeah, it was to do with her. "Did she give you a reason why she thought that you shouldn't have given me your spare room?"

Merlin drunk more of his drink before he spoke. "Freya believes that I have a crush on you."

She felt her heart stop. If anything, she would have thought that it would have been the other way around. That she had a crush on him.

"I mean, I was probably stupid with my reply."

Morgana's throat had gone dry. "What did you reply?"

"I said that I wouldn't be lying if he didn't think that you were one of the most beautiful people that I have had not only the privilege of meeting but being considered their friend. Not that we could have been that, with your stepfather's … higher status and the fact that Arthur on more than one occasion told me that.

"I mean nothing would ever happen between us because if we were in the middle ages or a time like that you would be some high-born, a lady more than likely, maybe even a princess, and I would be some peasant that has had to work since the day he became helpful so that his mother and he could just survive the winter. We would never have met in those times so there is no point in thinking anything different now because your stepfather is as backwards as they come and he probably has a line of men and women lined up for both you and Arthur to marry so that he knows that his family name will still be associated with wealth."

Merlin sighed before he placed his head in his hands. If anything Morgana was taken aback by what he said.

"Wait, do you think that nothing could ever happen between us because of Uther?"

"No, because I know that you wouldn't allow that. If you wanted me, we would have been together in secondary and you would have listened to my pleas to stay down here rather than moving up to Scotland."

No, Freya had it the right way round. It was Merlin's crush on her. Morgana thought back to when she had Gwaine round and how Merlin looked and sounded jealous. She thought about the incident and maybe saw the reason behind why he said what he did. She even thought back to when she had said that she had offers from all her universities and Merlin saying that it would be great if they were all in London, she was the one to say that she had already put her choices down as Glasgow and Durham.

If by magic, Arthur turned up and joined them. He must have said something but his voice was downed out by her thoughts.

"I'm going to go home." She said went Arthur placed his hand on her shoulder. "You'll look after him won't you. Try not to make too much noise." She stood up and put back on her jacket before leaving.

She had been such an idiot. In secondary, she could have any man she wanted. She could have had Merlin. She could have had him and still be one of the most popular people because she and Arthur wouldn't allow anything to be said against them. She was the one that could have saved them from so much heartache.

Morgana didn't want to break Merlin and Freya up, but her own stupidity in her late teens had made sure that they would.


	10. It's Awkward

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _What is the aftermath of what Merlin said?_

* * *

 **It's Awkward**

"You just said what? To Morgana?"

"Arthur, please?"

"No, you are wondering why my sister up and left like she just did. I can tell you now, you are both blind."

Merlin turned to him. "What?"

"Christ, and you said that me and Gwen danced around each other."

"What?"

Arthur looked at his friend. "Just talk to her, yeah?"

Merlin rolled his eyes at him.

* * *

"Your behaviour hasn't gone unnoticed. Even Uther has said something to Arthur about you."

"Well it would have been nice to know."

"Know what?" Gwen questioned.

Morgana turned to her. "It would have been nice to know that Merlin had a big crush on me in secondary and now believes that we would never get together because we never got together in secondary and the fact that he thinks of me as some high-born lady while he is some peasant. For Christ sakes, he has his head in too many books. It is the 21st century, not the 6th."

Gwen bit her nails.

"What?"

"I had a suspicion."

"A suspicion?"

"I didn't realise I would have to bash your heads together for you to realise that you could be together." Gwen argued. "I thought you would have worked it out yourself."

"You let me think that it was only one way. You could have said something like 'he doesn't talk to other girls like that' or 'I think he likes you, like you'." Morgana dragged a hand through her hair. "This is such a big mess."

"Well, there is a good side to this."

Morgana glared at Gwen. "Good side? I can't see it at the moment. Yes the guy that I have fancied since the age of 14 when he joined our school, is now not with the girlfriend that he was incredibly cute with. Instead of just jumping in bed with him, like I would probably any other guy, he tells me that we would never be together because if I wanted to be with him, we would have been together in secondary. So not only do I feel like an idiot, I can't say anything to him that isn't awkward or doesn't sound incredibly stupid. Please Gwen, tell me the good side."

"Morgana, just tell him how you feel. How many guys did you turn down because he said that they were an idiot? Or because you didn't want him to get the wrong message? Talk to him."

"It's awkward."

"What about Merlin isn't awkward? The man is the definition of the word."

Morgana allowed herself to smile.

* * *

"Please Arthur, just tell me what I have supposedly missed."

"You really don't know."

"No." Merlin said. "The only thing I know now is that I apparently have two girls that are angry with me because I said I had a crush on Morgana when I was in secondary. Freya hasn't spoken to me for days. She won't text me back or return my calls. Morgana … I don't even know where to begin with Morgana. Everything was just like it was when we were back at secondary. Like she never went up to Glasgow for uni. Now she is avoiding me and if she does talk to me, it just seems awkward."

"You are kinda awkward."

"Not helping Arthur."

"Look, I know you're an idiot. Gwen knows you're and idiot. Morgana has just been reminded why I used to call you an idiot a lot of the time. Freya … if Freya didn't know you were an idiot, either she knows now or she is an idiot."

"Still not helping."

"Just stop being an idiot. Just tell the poor girl, properly, that you like, like her. I know how much pressure it took for you to ask Freya out but this is Morgana."

"Someone who is more likely to rip my head off than go out with me."

"Mate, why are you putting yourself down so low?"

Merlin turned to Arthur. "I know she is your step-sister but haven't you seen her? I know of your childish games and jokes where you were King Arthur with your friends being your Knights of the Round Table and Morgana was always the evil witch.

"But … for someone that to be that beautiful, she must possess some magic. I feel ashamed because I am sure I would never feel for Freya as much as I feel for Morgana. I have tried not to but just being around her … I feel like I am under some spell and I don't ever want to be released from it. She had a nightmare and I offered to sleep with her." He caught himself. "Not in that way. Just having her in my arms for a night … maybe I knew then that I didn't actually want anyone else. Freya has just got caught up in a mess."

"Why don't you just tell Morgana that? You are the English fanatic. You are good with words."

"I can't"

"Merlin, it really isn't that difficult."

He sighed. "I have explained. It is just awkward between us now. I don't want to give any other reasons for it to be awkward between us."

"You really don't know that. Hey, you might even be surprised."

Merlin just huffed.

* * *

Morgana lied awake. She had heard Merlin come in and go to his room. This is how it had been for the last few days. They hadn't really seen each other, just heard what the other was doing.

She went over the conversation she had with Gwen. Maybe she was right. Maybe she should just tell Merlin how she felt. Their friendship seemed to be in tatters now anyway. It couldn't really make it any worse. If it did, she could always, finally, take up Uther's offer of living with him and put aside as much money as possible to either get her own flat or rent something.

She sighed heavily. She needed to tell him. It couldn't stay like this between them. This was definitely destroy their friendship.


	11. Like Me?

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _So who is going to grab the nettle?_

* * *

 **Like Me?**

Merlin tapped his pen against the desk. He had to do something about the situation at home. It was just too weird now. He just didn't want to lose Morgana and he felt like that was happening all over again. He just didn't know how he was going to do that.

Maybe he should just take Arthur's advice and just bite the bullet and tell Morgana how he really feels about her. What could be worse? He already felt awful for Freya wanting to break up with him. Another person rejecting him wouldn't totally tip him over the edge, he hoped.

He stood up and started to place all his books in his bag. He knew that she was on a late one tonight. He would do something special for her. Maybe it would be the best way to try and say it. He remembered what she had said about them having too many takeaways and how she had never found vegetarian food tasty. He smiled to himself. That's what he would do then.

As Merlin walked out of the university, he quickly swung passed Morgana's class. He could hear them debating from the corridor. He heard her talk passionately about the subject they were doing. Maybe he should have said something when they were at secondary school.

He shrugged his bag back on his shoulder as he reached their local shop. He grabbed a basket and started to wonder down the aisles, looking for something that would inspire him. He had a few ideas but settled on a ravioli. He picked up all the ingredients he needed as well as a bottle of wine before he went to go and pay.

"Someone's out to impress." The cashier said.

Merlin laughed. "Yeah. Hopefully I am going to find the courage to tell a really good friend that I want more than friendship."

"I am really pleased for you." She paused. "I mean he is really handsome and you make such a nice couple together."

He blinked at her. "What?"

"The blonde guy you seem to always be with. Oh, not him."

"No, not him. Arthur is a really good friend but no."

"I swear you played for the other team."

"I get it a lot actually." He chuckled. "It's his sister I am trying to impress."

The cashier told him how much it had come to and he handed over the money.

"Good luck." She said as she handed him the bag.

"Thanks."

Merlin chuckled to himself all the way home. The amount of times that he had been asked if he and Arthur were dating was slightly worrying. Did they just seem too close to be friends?

Arthur was the brother that Merlin had never had. He knew that he would always be able to rely on him.

As soon as he got home, he put on some music before he started cooking. He knew that Morgana wouldn't be long before she was home. Everything would be okay. He just knew it.

* * *

Morgana sighed as she entered the lift. All she wanted to do was get her marking done and then go to bed. She wasn't even that hungry. It had been a long day and she would have liked the flat to have a bath so she could soak away her stresses.

It was mean of her, but she hoped that Merlin wasn't there when she got back. It was awkward between them and her avoiding him wasn't helping the situation, it was actually making it worse. But it was better that way. He was the one to think that nothing would ever happen between them.

She pushed her key into the door and opened it before dumping all her stuff on the floor. She kicked the door shut behind her and called out, out of pure habit, to see if Merlin was home.

"Hey." Merlin said, running out of the kitchen.

"Hey." She said back. There was something different about this interaction. She had missed him, and this just showed her how much she missed him.

He cleared his throat. "I umm … I have cooked us dinner. That is if you haven't already had anything. I know that you run late today and … do you pick something up when you leave?"

Morgana smiled. "No, I didn't. It smells wonderful."

He turned back into the kitchen and she took a deep breath before she followed him through to the lounge. Maybe tonight would be the best time to tell him. Just get it over and done with before it becomes too hard to say.

"I know that you said that you aren't a vegetarian and not had a tasty vegetarian dish but this is just going to change your mind okay. I am not planning on converting you but I promise you, this is good."

She was surprised to see that he had cleared part of the table, enough room for both of them to sit. She walked passed him and sat down at the table. Merlin joined her, sitting opposite, bringing the meal he had cooked for them and a bottle of wine.

Merlin poured the wine before the fell into silence again. She tried the ravioli and she couldn't find the words to describe it. It was amazing. So amazing she had to tell herself to eat it slowly to try and make it last longer.

"How was your day?" He asked.

"Good, yours?"

"Got a lot done."

"Good."

They fell into silence again and Morgana sighed. She had to say something now. They started to talk over each other.

"Merlin?" "Morgana?"

"No you go."

"No you."

"Merlin."

"No, you go on." He said.

She supposed that it was only fair. He had already confessed his feelings for her in one form or another.

"I … I know it has been awkward between us for the passed week or so. I suppose I better give you a reason as to why I find that it has been awkward. I have just been reeling since you said that basically you had a crush on me that nothing would ever happen between us. The thing is, I believed the same for a while." She took a deep breath. "Okay, I am just going to come out with it. From the moment I met Freya, I tried not to instantly hate her or feel jealous and I thought that was the reason that you two broke up. I have liked you for a while and so far I have not been able to find someone that I feel as strongly for as I have you. That was the reason I tried to go out with Gwaine. I didn't want to get in between you and Freya because I have had a crush on you and couldn't find the right words to tell you."

"You like me?" Merlin said after a while.

"That's all you have to say. Is that really all what you got from that?"

He didn't say anything else. He leant over the table and cupped her cheek, bring her to him. Her hands went to his shirt to bring him closer as the kiss that she used to fantasied about happened.


	12. Gently, Gently

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _Did my last chapter seem a little final? There is still a little more to this than you think._

* * *

 **Gently, Gently**

As much as Morgana wanted to scream it from the roof tops, they decided to take things slow with their relationship. Merlin had realistically only just broken up with Freya and it just seemed too soon to them for him to be seen dating again, even if it is the thing that have both wanted since secondary.

They would go out for lunch more regularly when their timetables allowed it but other than that, when they were out, it was just stolen glances in the corridors. At home, it was a little different. They would act more like a couple but still keeping it slow.

"Come on, there is this place I have been dying to take you." Merlin said.

"I could really just do with a night in."

"It's not far and it isn't fancy. I promise you that you will love it."

"It isn't a vegetarian place is it?"

He laughed. "No, it's mixed. It has a great vegetarian menu but there are burgers where the patties are as big as the buns."

Morgana looked up at him. "Now you have me craving a burger. Just let me change." She up off the sofa and started to walk towards her room.

He caught her arm. "You are fine with what you have got on."

"I have been in these clothes all day. I just need to changed my top. It will only take me a few minutes." He gave him a quick peck on the lips before she left him in the lounge.

She pulled her t-shirt over her head and threw it towards the rest of her laundry. She looked at the pile, knowing that she would have to do some washing soon or otherwise she wouldn't have anything to wear. Maybe that was the plan for tomorrow morning.

She threw open her drawers and picked up her favourite green shirt. She put it on before grabbing her leather jacket and grabbing an appropriate pair of shoes. She would have gone heels to make herself closer to his height but instead settled on some pumps. She just wanted to feel comfortable tonight.

She turned in the hallway as she saw Merlin standing by the door.

"Is this okay?"

He just nodded before he opened the door. Morgana knew by the look in his eyes, that it was more than enough. She looked down at her outfit. A shirt, jeans and a leather jacket. There was nothing special to it but he looked like she had just walked out in a ballgown. She didn't think that she could get enough of him.

Merlin was right, it wasn't far. They had only been walking for about 5 minutes when they got to the restaurant. It wasn't fancy. She got more of a pub sort of vibe from it when she entered.

As soon as they sat down, Merlin ordered them a bottle of wine.

"You're learning." She said, knowing he had picked a good wine.

"Well, the amount of wine I have had in my flat for the past few months, I should be able to pick a good bottle." He looked up at her, over the top of the menu. "Plus it is my favourite out of the ones you have brought."

"Ah, so it is the teacher." She said, not looking up at him.

"Maybe it is."

Morgana could feel his smile. She had many times wondered what it would have been like if Merlin was her boyfriend. At the moment, it was everything that she thought that it would be. He was one of the sweetest guys she knew.

They spoke throughout the meal, talking about their time at uni and reminiscing about secondary. They laughed at some of the stories that they told, mainly the ones where Arthur was made to look stupid. Morgana may have not wanted to go out but she was glad that Merlin had suggested it. She couldn't really remember the last time she had a really good laugh with a really good friend over a really good meal. It just made her wish that she had gone to university closer to them. It would have been easier for her to visit them or them visit her. Instead she missed out on six years of their lives.

She was sure that she could have stayed there all night talking but was happy enough when Merlin asked for the bill. When the plate was placed down on the table, Merlin picked it up and Morgana went to her pocket to get out her card.

"So what is it?"

"What is what?"

"What is it each?" Morgana asked.

Merlin looked at her. "Put that away. I am paying."

"Merlin, we are two hard working adults. I can pay for my own meal."

"And I am trying to treat you."

"I am trying to help you out."

"I want to pay for it. I am not as hard up as I was at secondary. I can pay for it."

"Merlin, just let me pay for half."

He sighed heavily before telling her what half the bill was. She knew what he was trying to do, but she didn't want to allow it. They were both working adults with their own money. She didn't want him spending too much money on her. She had watched as he had struggled financial because of his mother's low paid job.

Once it was all paid, they made their way out of the restaurant and into the cold night. Morgana wished that she had brought a warmer coat. The weather had turned cold quite quickly. Merlin held his hand out to her and she took it.

"I have been thinking. I know we said that we will take it slowly, but how can we take it slow when we are already living together."

"I was never one to do things the conventional way."

He chuckled. "I quite like doing things the conventional way. It might sound weird but I liked having to organise something to do and then worrying about what to wear, thinking about wearing one thing and then end up wearing something completely different. Either nervously waiting outside for the girl to come out or sitting in the restaurant, hoping I have told her the right place. Walking her back when we had finished."

"Well you have always been a romantic." She looked up at him. "We can still do all that, if you want."

Merlin smiled at her as they entered their block of flats. They stepped into the lift and made the short journey to their flat. Once inside, he walked her to her bedroom door.

"Here we are." He said.

Morgana looked at the door. "It seems like we are. I really did enjoy myself tonight."

"Good, I said you would like it."

She smiled. "I would ask you in and offer you a coffee but I don't have a coffee machine in my room."

"I better get off anyway." He said gesturing down the hall. "I have to be up early for work."

She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you." She said before she opened her bedroom door, only thinking about going to sleep.


	13. The Announcement

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _Yes, I wish that there were more men like Merlin._

* * *

 **The Announcement**

"Remind me again why you said that we would cook." Morgana said down the phone.

" _Because they like my cooking."_ Merlin replied.

"Oh, they like your cooking, not mine. You better try and find a way to get back home so it is your cooking."

" _How many times do I have to tell you that I am sorry? You know how Arthur is. He said a date and I didn't really have time to think about it before he thought I was in agreement with him. I also may have forgotten about this conference."_

"Merlin, I am looking at the recipe now. This is difficult."

" _It isn't that difficult."_

"How many times have you made it?" She asked.

He hesitated. _"I don't know. I have lost count. Many times."_

"Yes Merlin, your many times to my zero. I will remind you that I did manage to burn a jacket potato while the middle was still raw."

Merlin chuckled. _"I still don't know how you did that. Look you will be fine. I will text you some instructions to make it seem easier. There is no chicken or anything like that so you won't poison anyone. I know you can do it. You just need a little bit of faith in yourself."_

Morgana sighed. "Maybe it will be okay. If not, you are paying for the takeaway."

" _Look I have to go. I hope to be home before they arrive. Maybe I will be able to save whatever happens if you don't get it right. But I am sure you will."_

She looked at her phone after he hung up. She was cooking a meal. She was cooking for Arthur and Gwen. There was only one of two ways that it was going to end, in success or total and utter disaster.

She hoped that it would be a success. She tried to place it out of her mind as she gathered up her stuff and made her way to her seminar.

* * *

Morgana was stressed out. She had put her hair up in a rough ponytail, but her hair was still getting in her face due to parts of it falling out. It was slightly going to plan. She just had to get it to a stage where she could just shove it in the oven and then forget about it for 20 minutes while she went to go and get changed.

The doorbell ringing at that point wasn't helpful. She turned down the pans that were on the hob before she ran to the door and opened it, not checking who was on the other side.

"You could have told me earlier that you had forgotten your key. I am so glad you are here. I think I have done everything right."

She turned around when she heard laughter.

"Arthur." Gwen said, hitting him on the arm.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked.

"Attempting to make something edible." She groaned. "I thought you were Merlin. I need Merlin to tell me that I have done this right."

"It smells wonderful." Gwen said.

"That it does." Merlin said behind them.

Arthur had already moved to the lounge by that point and Gwen went to join him.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you." Morgana said, leaning against the counter.

"And I told you that you would be fine. I can take over if you want." He offered.

"Please. I am going to get changed."

Merlin grabbed her arm just before she got too far down the hall. He pulled her back before giving her a quick kiss.

"They are going to be happy for us, aren't they?" Merlin asked.

"The amount I have moaned to Gwen, she will at least be happy that she doesn't have to listen to me as I tell her how attractive I find you."

"I don't know whether Arthur will be happy about me going out with his stepsister."

"Don't worry about him. I can deal with Arthur."

"You probably have been the only person to be able to."

"Look you have dinner to finish cooking and I have to go and freshen up. Don't want it burning now, do we?"

Merlin chuckled before giving her another kiss. Morgana smiled to herself before turning around in the hallway.

When Merlin had suggested that they should tell Arthur and Gwen, Morgana wasn't so sure. Part of her still didn't really believe that it was real, she thought she was in some dream. But she had come to realise that telling them would make it seem more real to her.

It was Gwen and Arthur, the two people that had probably been in the middle of this all from the very beginning. She knew that Gwen and Arthur knew it from her point of view and Gwen had seemed to know that Merlin liked her and Arthur had told him that nothing would particularly happen between them.

Morgana kept smiling as she changed out of her clothes. As they were at home and with two really good friends, she didn't really care what she looked like so put on the most comfortable clothes she owned. She just wanted to feel comfortable tonight.

She grabbed some wine glasses as she walked back through the kitchen and to the lounge. She placed them on the coffee table before she went and grabbed a bottle of wine. She poured it out.

"Merlin keeps moaning that I buy too much wine." Morgana commented.

"You do, I will need to turn a cupboard into a wine cellar before long." Merlin shouted from the kitchen.

She turned and smiled at him. She heard Gwen gasp and her friend was giving her a big smile when she turned back to them.

"No?" Gwen said.

"No what?" Arthur asked.

Morgana nodded at Gwen.

"Really?" Gwen said, just for Morgana to nod at her again.

"What's going on?" Arthur said.

"You have always been so oblivious haven't you?" Morgana asked.

Merlin joined them, standing behind Morgana. "We are dating." He said.

"I am so happy for you." Gwen said while Arthur glared at Merlin.

"Arthur, please behave." Morgana said, giving him a glare back.

"You hurt her and best friends or not, I will skin you alive. Also you hurt him and step-sister or not, I will find away to hurt you as well."

Morgana turned to Merlin and rolled her eyes at him. She took it as a good sign though. They were both happy that they were together. She sat down next to Gwen as she asked how it all happened.


	14. She's Back

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _Let's get on with the penultimate chapter, shall we?_

* * *

 **She's Back**

Over the next few weeks, they began telling more and more people until they were sure it was common knowledge that people knew that they were dating. It was the little things that they did for each other as well. Like when one of them was working basically all day and the other was more free, they would bring cups of tea or coffee to each other. The girls in Morgana's class always told her how lucky she was and Morgana just agreed with them. She was lucky to have Merlin.

Their home life was still the same, with little extra of sharing the same bed. It felt strange for Morgana to walk passed what was her bedroom and into Merlin's. It was a lot more messier than she had expected off of him. The first time, he had started picking stuff off the floor before Morgana told him that it was okay and her room was probably in a worse state.

There was nothing more right than Merlin holding her in his arms at night. It just felt wonderful. All the years of wondering and regretting weren't all for nothing. It might be later in life than they wanted to get together but they were together at last.

Morgana stood by the door as she waited for Merlin to put his coat on. They were heading off on their first official date. They had been out for dinner a number of times but this was the first that they were actually calling a date. If anything, she was excited about going. It was just another dinner in another restaurant but it just felt like it was something more.

"Just so you know, I am paying tonight. I don't care what you say, I am paying." He said as he sorted out his collar.

"Okay, you can pay tonight but I pay next time."

"Fine."

"Shall we?" Merlin said, smiling at her.

That goofy smile was going to be the end of her. She matched his smile as she picked up her keys and opened the door. Morgana grabbed his hand when they got into the lift. He turned to her and smiled again.

It was some thing that they both wanted but was never brave enough to go for it. She was glad that they were given this opportunity. She wasn't going to let it go.

"So where are we going?" She asked when they got into the taxi.

"You'll see." He said.

Morgana huffed as she leant back into the seat.

* * *

Merlin walked back into the university campus with a massive smile on his face and flowers in his hand. He had passed a certain shop on his way in that morning and thought that a bunch of flowers would be great to give to Morgana. He knew that he had a free before she had one so quickly rushed out before she could catch him.

His mother had always told him that flowers usually were a good idea for a gift. He just hoped that she would like them. If they were somewhere more rural, he probably would have picked the flowers himself.

He walked through the campus with confidence. He had the girl that he has wanted for a long time. How could he not be confident?

But then he saw her. He stopped as he watched Freya talk to one of his colleagues, probably asking where he was. He quickly turned around and luckily saw another of his colleagues. He jogged over to her.

"Could you possibly give these to Morgana for me?" He asked.

His colleague looked at him before looking towards where Merlin gestured with his head. "Sure."

"I should probably sort this out."

"Merlin, I know you loved Freya but you are a totally different person with Morgana."

He smiled and thanked her before walking towards Freya.

"Hey." He said once he had reached them.

"Hey." Freya said. "Can we chat?"

"Sure." He sighed before following her to his office.

Merlin knew what he had to say to her but it didn't really mean that it was any easier to say it to her.

"Freya?" He said as he leant against the desk.

"I've missed you." She said.

It took him off guard for a moment. He had missed her but then again, he had also moved on. They had been broken up for nearly two months now.

"I've missed you too." He said.

"Don't just say it because I have."

"I have missed you. Genuinely missed you. I am not just saying it. You know I would never say something without meaning it."

"I probably shouldn't have come."

"Why do you say that?"

"You're different and I don't know how to take it. Is it a good different or is it a bad different? Is it the different I was expecting or is it the different I was hoping for?" Freya said. "Are you different because of me?"

"Freya, what is this all about?"

"Would there be any chance that we could pick up where we left off?"

Merlin sighed heavily. He would have to tell her. It would break both their hearts but she needed to know.

* * *

Morgana was quite surprised by the flowers delivered to her. The woman had said that they had come from Merlin and had explained that he was called to a quick meeting. She knew that he had been called away but she was still disappointed that he hadn't delivered them himself. She could picture him walking around the shop, trying to find the perfect bunch for her.

She waited around for a bit before she made her way to his office to thank him for them. She still felt giddy from the night before. She had a wonderful night with Merlin and she couldn't wait for the next time that they went out. She knew where she was going to take Merlin.

The door to his office was slightly open but Morgana was slightly glad that she could hear his voice before she opened the door.

"Maybe we could." He said.

"I do still love you." She heard Freya say.

Morgana didn't know whether she wanted to hear any more. She turned away and made her way back to her classroom to grab her stuff. She didn't need to be in any more today.

As she left, she was hoping for the best but thinking the worst.


	15. Missed Opportunities

_Thank you for the reviews._

 _So here we are, on the last chapter of this story. I hope you have enjoyed it._

 _I want to thank you for you continued support. It is nice to see the same old names popping up in the reviews and I am grateful for anyone who reviews, follows, favourites and even just reads. Yes even you who are reading this now and will then go and read this chapter._

 _Next story will be Hate and Love, up on Thursday._

* * *

 **Missed Opportunities**

Merlin walked back home as slowly as he could. He was still a little shocked about Freya turning up and what she asked him. If she had asked him a few weeks ago, he would have probably told her yes but he couldn't, not now. He finally had his chance with the girl he had loved longer than anyone else. He was giving himself time to think over that.

He was also giving himself time to think what to say to Morgana. He had been told that she had come to his office and had more than likely seen him with Freya. He knew Morgana well enough to know that she would be expecting the worst. He knew of her long streak of bad luck, her first boyfriend, Alvarr, cheating on her, everyone knew that he was, except for her. Uther denying the fact that she had a long lost sister when Morgause showed up. He could see why she wanted to move so far away.

He took the stairs to give himself some more time. He sighed heavily as he finally reached the door of his flat. He hoped that she was still in there, that she hadn't packed her bags and moved out already. Maybe he was the one that was expecting the worse.

Merlin smiled as he entered the living room to see Morgana sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa, marking. She looked up at him before putting her marking on the coffee table.

"I know that you saw me with Freya."

"I only came to say thank you for the flowers."

"I could guess that."

"Thank you, they are beautiful."

"No problem, I did think that you would like them."

Morgana reached for the wine bottle and filled up the wine glass on the table. She picked it up and took a sip of it.

"Freya came to ask whether we could pick up where we left off."

"And you said maybe we could to which she told you that she still loved you." Morgana said. "I heard that bit."

Merlin smiled at her. "No I didn't. I said that after she said whether there was any chance of us still being friends. I told her that I was seeing someone else. I then added, not that I doubt she would have guessed, that I was going out with you."

She looked up at him again. She had jumped to a conclusion that she shouldn't have jumped to. She should have just asked what he had said. She relaxed.

"I did think the worst."

"I could guess. I don't blame you. I think I would have been the same if it had been the other way around. I was scared that I would come back to an empty flat after I was told."

"I suppose part of me wanted to find out whether the part of me hoping for the best, wondered whether you have done what you did do."

"I am glad that you have stayed." He held out his hand to her.

She took it and he helped her off of the floor. He tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry I doubt you."

"We have had too many missed opportunities to let this one go." He said before he kissed her.

He was right. They have had many missed opportunities. There were the times at secondary school that they could have gone out. Merlin could have been the one to keep Morgana in London. They both just didn't see that the other wanted them as much as they wanted the other. This was it. This was their time. Morgana didn't want to let it go and she was glad that Merlin didn't want to let it go either.

* * *

If she felt giddy from the date, she was definitely on cloud nine when she woke up the next morning. She watched Merlin as he slept, waiting for the alarm to go off in the next few minutes. Morgana knew that she could wake up like this everyday without any problems. There was just something about being in Merlin's arms that made her feel like she belonged there. She had been out with stronger guys that Merlin but they never made her feel as safe as she did in his.

He had talked about missed opportunities and they had definitely had a few of them.

The alarm sounded and Merlin turned it off before rolled over to her. He smiled at her.

"Morning." He said, his voice still filled with sleep,

"Morning."

"Oh god, we have another day of work left." He said, closing his eyes again.

Morgana laughed. "Yes we do, so you better not go back to sleep."

"I wish I could. Stay in bed all morning with my girlfriend in my arms."

She smiled. "Well a plan for Saturday and Sunday if we want to."

"Hmm, that would be nice." He turned over and looked at the clock. "Right better get up." He said before lying back down again.

"Are you always bad at getting up in the morning?"

"Not always. Just when I have a beautiful woman in my bed and I don't want to leave her."

Morgana bit her lip to stop herself from smiling too wide. "Unfortunately our students need us."

"Half of our students have picked our courses just because they were interested in it and the other half did it because someone told them that they would never get anywhere with an English or History degree. The ones that were interested have now lost that interest and the other half didn't particularly want to be there. I don't think they do. I have read names on the register that I don't think I have ever seen, let alone got an assignment off."

"That is the joys of being a university teacher. I feel sorry for half the teachers I had now. Turning up drunk still or not done half the work or even just not paying attention in the class because I just didn't want to be there."

"And there's me thinking that you would have been a model student."

"Oh far from it." Morgana kissed him before she threw the covers back and got out of the bed. "Come on, we need to get on."

Merlin groaned. She just smiled. It could be like this every morning and she wouldn't care. She was finally with Merlin. This was their opportunity.


End file.
